Complete Genomics, a Mountain View startup with visions of becoming the Google of DNA sequencing, announced $45 million in fourth-round venture funding Monday as it ramps up plans to perform a stunning 10,000 gene sequences by the end of 2010 — one thousand times the number performed to date.

The result will be an explosion of data, Complete Genomics CEO Clifford Reid said, that can help scientists correlate and understand the relationship between genetics and diseases and develop appropriate therapies to address pre-existing conditions.

"In the genomics world, the magic number is hundreds. One won't do and tens won't do. You need hundreds," Reid explained. "And in some case you need thousands."

Much as Google has prospered by the way it has optimized Web search technology and organized the data, Reid says, Complete Genomics aims to use its proprietary DNA sequencing technology to establish a leadership position based on volume.

Some other genomic companies are exploring other scientific aspects. Pacific Biosciences, which also aims to accelerate sequencing, recently secured $68 million in new financing, including a strategic investment from Monsanto, reflecting potential agricultural applications. Meanwhile, startups such as Navigenics and 23andMe are geared toward providing consumers with genetic data as it emerges.

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Complete Genomics, in contrast, aims to be the wholesaler of human genomic data. By processing large batches, Reid said, the startup expects to drive the costs of a completed sequence to $5,000. A few weeks ago, when Stanford University researcher and entrepreneur Stephen Quake said he had sequenced his own genes at a cost of $50,000, it was heralded as both a breakthrough and a bargain.

For all the advances in genomic research during the past decade, to date only 10 genomes have been sequenced, due in part to the high cost, according to Alex Barkas, managing director of Prospect Venture Partners and a Complete Genomics director.

The startup, founded in, early 2006, is uniquely positioned to perform large-scale processing of low-cost, high-quality genetic sequences for research institutes and biopharmaceutical giants. It is already working with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard on two pilot studies of the cancers melanoma and glioblastoma, and another a project with the Institute for Systems Biology. Reid said the company anticipates several other projects to be announced in the coming months.

"At the end of the day," Barkas said in statement, "one platform will emerge as the commercial leader in defining the population genetics of human disease and disease predisposition, and we believe that Complete Genomics has that proprietary platform."